WCI/Warner Home Video Warning Screens

Contents

1978-2004

These are five versions of Warner Home Video Warning Screens.

1978-1981

This is the first WCI Home Video/Warner Home Video Warning Screen. WCI stands for Warner Communications, Inc. The Sepia and B&W versions were spotted on old films. This FBI warning screen has also been used for MPI Home Video.

As seen on VHS and Betamax, such as Kiki (1931), The Candidate (1972), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), Superman (1978), "10" (1979), The Exorcist (1973), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), The Main Event (1979) and others.

2004-2009

This is the Warner Home Video warning screen with the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning seal. This was also used for 2 Entertain, Bandai Entertainment, and New Line Home Entertainment. On some cases, the warning screen is in Fullscreen format.

2009-present

This is the Warner Home Video warning screen with the Support Anti-Piracy seal. On some cases, the warning screen is in Fullscreen format just like the previous warning. This was also used for New Line Home Entertainment.

2012-present

This is the Warner Home Video Warning Screen with the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning Seal and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations badge.

As seen on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc, such as Chernobyl Diaries (2012), Rock of Ages (2012), The Conjuring (2013), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), Pacific Rim (2013), Argo (2012), Magic Mike (2012), Man of Steel (2013), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and more.

International Warning Screens

United Kingdom

1980-2006

Early Rental Variant

Early Variant

Rental Variant

1990-1996 Variant

Standard Variant

Later Variant

Warning: On a blue background, white Warning text scrolls up in smaller print.

Variants:

On early tapes, the text is shorter and scrolls at a faster rate. Also, a duplication screen appears before it reading:

This video cassette was duplicated by RankPhicom Video Duplication on behalf ofWarner Home Video and with their approval.

On pre-cert rental tapes, different text is used.

On early post-cert releases, another duplication notice appears right before the "standard" warning text reading:

This video cassette was duplicated byRank Video Duplication on behalf ofWarner Home Video and with their approval.

On late '80s and early '90s rental tapes, a different duplication screen appears after the warning finished. We start out with 3D stars rotating and becames 2D on a dark blue background. The text wipes in each row reads:

Finally, the Rank gong man with the words "Part of the Rank Organisation" appears below zooming up and it shines.

On 1990 and 1995 tapes, the background is dark bluish-purple.

On 1996-1999 tapes, the background is dark blue, the warning text is in a different font, the word "WARNING" is now uppercase, bold, and slightly italicized and the bottom text altered.

On post-1999 tapes, the background becomes darker, the warning text is in a Helvetica font and in two paragraphs, a colon is placed next to "WARNING" and the bottom text is altered and placed in the second warning paragraph.

Cheesy Factor: Looks fine, but in the early variants, a few words are capitalized.

FX/SFX: The text scrolling.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on British VHS and Beta cassettes. Until 1986, the warning appeared at the start of the tape, such as Gremlins. Can also be seen on pre-cert titles like Risky Buisness. After that, it only appeared at the end, such as Ocean's Eleven, Jeepers Creepers, Bless the Child, And Your Mother Too, The Powerpuff Girls Movie, Under Siege, The Miracle Maker, The Gift, Under Suspicion (2000), Risky Business, Pokémon: The First Movie, The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot, The Iron Giant, Scooby Doo: The Movie, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Cabin Fever, Whale Rider, Addams Family Reunion, Dangerous Liasons, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Delinquents, The Bodyguard, Gremlins 2, and Free Willy. One of the last releases to have it at the front is the rental VHS of Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment.

Scare Factor: None.

1999-present

Warning: On a black background, a white warning text in Arial or Helvetica (with WARNING in red above it), and then the text changes multiple times in different languages (with the Name of the country above it) after a few moments.

FX/SFX: None, but the text changes languages in a split second.

Music/Sounds: None, same as the first UK warning.

Availability: Seen on UK DVDs after the films, such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Laura's Star.

Scare Factor: None, same as the first UK warning.

Australia

1980-1986

Warning: We see the Warning screen scrolling up. On a white background, there is the blue underlined word "WARNING" in a large futuristic font. Below it is blue Warning text in a Kabel font.

FX/SFX: The text scrolling.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on the company's Australian releases of the era, such as Carrie.

Scare Factor: None.

1986-2004

Warning: On a white background, blue Warning text scrolls up in a Courier font and in capitals.

Variants:

The bottom text was changed throughout the years:

1986-1990: "THE VIDEOCASSETTE IS SOLD, HIRED ON THE CONDITION THAT IT IS NOT TO BE SOLD, HIRED, EXPORTED, RESUPPLIED OR DISTRIBUTED BY WAY OF TRADE OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA WITHOUT THE PROPER LICENSE FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO PTY. LTD."

1990-2004: "THIS VIDEOCASSETTE IS SOLD/HIRED ON THE CONDITION THAT IT IS NOT TO BE SOLD, HIRED, EXPORTED, RESUPPLIED OR DISTRIBUTED BY WAY OF TRADE OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA WITHOUT THE PROPER LICENSE FROM THE COPYRIGHT OWNER."

On early tapes, the text is thicker, the words are smaller, and colored in purple.

FX/SFX: The text scrolling.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Appears on Australian VHS releases by the company, such as Child's Play, Beetlejuice, Pokemon3, and Babylon 5 videos, as well as MGM's Australian releases from 1990 to 2000, like The Wizard Of Oz.